some comments on output from configure.py when downloading external packages

[Barry Smith]

On Aug 15, 2009, at 6:40 PM, Lisandro Dalcin wrote:

> When asking configure.py to download Hypre and ML, we get output  
> like this:
>
> 1) for Hypre ...
> You must register to use hypre at
> http://www.llnl.gov/CASC/hypre/download/hyprebeta_cur_agree.html
> Once you have registered, config/configure.py will continue and
> download and install hypre for you
> 2) for ML ...
> You must register to use ml at http://trilinos.sandia.gov/
> Once you have registered, config/configure.py will continue and
> download and install ml for you
>
> These messages are wrong, as the configuration does not stop.
> Secondly, a thing that I strongly object, is that after running
> configure, in home directory I now I have two files '.hypre_license'
> and '.ml_license' ... IMHO, configure.py should not write stuff in my
> home directory... why not write these files in $PETSC_DIR... Even
> more, do we still need these files if configure.py downloads and
> installs the stuff anyway?

    I have simplified it, removed the use of the home directory and  
changed the messages to simply ask the person to register (no longer  
imply that they have to register if it does not work)

>
> After looking at the websites of Hypre and ML, it seems that both are
> LGPL... So... Do we still need at all that license stuff in PETSc's
> build system for these two external packages?
>
> Lastly, this annoying thing about ML:
>
>         UNABLE to CONFIGURE with GIVEN OPTIONS    (see configure.log
> for details):
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Installing ML requires explicit root directory of MPI
> Run config/configure.py again with the additional argument
> --with-mpi-dir=rootdir
>
> Are you really sure this issue is hard to fix? Is it worth to give  
> it a look?

    If you want to fix it and can fix it, feel free. We think it is a  
design decision of the ML folks, but maybe you can modify ml.py so  
that it works.
Or you could send a fix of ml's configure to the ml people so they can  
get it into Trilinos.

    Barry

>
>
> -- 
> Lisandro Dalcín
> ---------------
> Centro Internacional de Métodos Computacionales en Ingeniería (CIMEC)
> Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química (INTEC)
> Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
> PTLC - Güemes 3450, (3000) Santa Fe, Argentina
> Tel/Fax: +54-(0)342-451.1594